Presidential Report

Summer greetings!

It’s been several months since my last report, and I have great updates for you. Section 4 leaders have been hard at work advancing our goals for 2026, and I’m excited to share that they have accomplished those goals—and even more.

First, I want to acknowledge the incredible work our leadership team has done to recruit new leaders and strengthen the foundation needed for the Section’s continued growth.

In November 2025, we distributed an Interest Survey to Division and Section members and connected with many individuals who volunteered to serve and shared thoughtful ideas for new programs and initiatives that Section 4 could undertake. We held elections in March, and while we are fortunate to have filled all current leadership positions, there is always room for members who want to get involved. If you have an idea, initiative, or vision for the Section that you would like to bring to life, please reach out. I would be happy to introduce you to our leadership team and help create opportunities for you to contribute your talents and ideas.

As a result of our recent elections, two leaders who had been serving on an interim basis in the roles of Secretary and Newsletter Editor (Dr. Michi Fu and Dr. Kat Arenella) are now serving their elected terms in 2026 and 2027. Two new leaders were elected in the roles of Treasurer and President-Elect (Dr. Rossella Traversa and Dr. Konjit Page). Rossella will serve in 2026 and 2027. I will rotate out of the presidency in December 2026, and Konjit will begin her two-year term as President in January 2027. In addition, all appointed leadership positions have been confirmed for the 2026–2027 term. The current composition of the leadership team is as follows.

• President: Cristina Magalhaes (2024-2026)
• President-Elect: Konjit Page (2027-2028)
• Secretary: Michi Fu (2026-2027)
• Treasurer: Rossella Traversa (2026-2027)
• Newsletter Editor: Katherine Arenella (2026-2027)
• Program Chair: Arlene Noriega (2026-2027)
• Membership Chair: Kathryn Anderson (2026-2027)
• Awards Chair: Monica Ghabriel (2026-2027)
• Mentorship Chair: Tyffani Monford (2026-2027)
• Graduate Student Committee Co-Chairs: Nina Dours and Hanna Seidman (2026-2027)

Regarding awards, the section received several nominations in 2026. These were processed in March and April and the decisions were communicated to the Division in May. If you will be attending the APA Convention in Washington, DC this summer, please join us in celebrating our 2026 award recipients and their outstanding contributions to sexual and gender diversity research, practice, teaching, and advocacy through an intersectional feminist lens. The Division 35 Awards Ceremony will be held in the Division’s Engagement Space on August 7th at 4 PM.

Over the past few months, the leadership team has developed and launched two exciting new initiatives to support graduate students. The first is a new mentoring program, led by Dr. Tyffani Monford, and the second is a program to support graduate students’ publications in the Section’s newsletter, led by Dr. Kat Arenella and me. To learn more about these initiatives, please see pages 15-16 of this issue of PERSPECTIVES.

Regarding programming, I had mentioned in my previous report that the Section had plans for a symposium in DC about feminist queer leadership, but unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, the symposium was canceled. We will instead be hosting a business meeting and networking event in the Division’s Engagement Space, on Friday, August 7th at 10 AM. If you would like to attend, please RSVP, as space is limited and refreshments will be provided. Here is the link to the invitation and RSVP site: https://forms.gle/SZ6zMpb4E7KHdBJ59

We also look forward to sharing beautiful, colorful Section pins with members attending the convention. Dr. Konjit Page is credited for the design. If you are unable to attend the business and networking event, I still hope you will reach out. I would love the opportunity to connect with you while in DC. Additionally, regarding events, our program chair, Dr. Arlene Noriega, is planning a webinar for September on the topic of feminist queer leadership and CEs will be provided. Stay tuned for an announcement.

One final piece of news, we have a new logo for the Section, which you will start seeing in announcements, social media, and in the Section’s webpage and newsletter site. Our hope is that this new logo (seen next to my signature, below) will help evoke thoughts of inclusivity and belonging for psychologists of all sexual orientations and genders interested in the work of the Section. There is a place in Section 4 for everyone who wants to help increase dialogue, research, education, and advocacy around issues impacting LGBTQ+ individuals and communities in the US and abroad. Thank you for being part of Section 4. I hope to see many of you in DC this summer!

                                     

Cristina Magalhaes, PhD (cmagalhaes2@alliant.edu).

President, APA Division 35 Section 4

Presidential Report

 

Happy New Year!

May we all step into 2026 with hope and excitement for a productive year with new opportunities for feminist psychologists to make a difference in the profession and beyond!

In this column, I share with you what Section IV leaders have been doing to help advance feminist approaches to sexual and gender minority concerns within APA Division 35 and how you can become involved.

First, I am glad to report that we have a new team of leaders who are incredibly talented and dedicated to feminist work within APA. The new group has been meeting regularly since August 2025 to create new infrastructure to grow the Section, fill vacant positions, mentor new leaders, increase the visibility of sexuality and gender diversity concerns within Division 35, and add value to your membership.

Michi Fu recently joined the team as Interim Secretary, Elliot Tebbe as Interim Treasurer, Kat Arenella as Interim Newsletter Editor, and I continue as President. We will soon be holding new elections for these Executive Committee positions. If you are interested in any of these roles, please reach out to let me know (cmagalhaes2@alliant.edu). We expect to send out ballots to Section members within the next couple of months.

We also have several committee leaders and other volunteers supporting the activities of the Section in appointed roles. Kathryn Anderson and Arlene Noriega recently joined the Section and are chairing the Membership Committee and the Program Committee, respectively. Monica Ghabrial is continuing as Awards Chair. Hanna Seidman and Nina Dours also recently joined the Section and are co-chairing the Graduate Student Committee. Kyla Kaatz is leading social media initiatives.

The new group started strong. Within a couple of months, the team developed and launched a survey to gauge interest from Division members in the activities of the Section, solicit ideas for future programming, and identify current Section members who are willing to help coordinate future activities or develop new initiatives. Over 100 Section IV and Division 35 members completed the survey back in October 2025 and provided very helpful information. We are so grateful for their time and input!      

Here are some takeaways.

• Approximately 60% of survey participants were either current or former Section IV members.

• Some participants did not know that Section IV membership is free, or how to join or renew membership. If you want to join or renew but don’t know how, here is where to go:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyHtO_T5c2XIXLqw9A_XYEpy2LcSODrmCFIlgkFaHmx2jBug/viewform

• For former and current Section members, two common reasons why folks became members of the Section were that (1) they wanted to join a group of professionals who approach issues related to gender and sexuality from a feminist lens, and that (2) they wanted to stay informed of events related to gender and sexuality at APA convention via the Section's newsletter, social media, and other communication outlets. This is good feedback! Section leaders are working to re-activate, improve, or augment existing communication channels and create new ones to build/grow our professional community and keep our members engaged.

• Several participants did not know whether their membership is current. If this is the case for you, our Membership Chair can help check your status. Contact Kathryn Anderson at kathryn.anderson@div35spw.org. Alternatively, you may fill out a membership form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyHtO_T5c2XIXLqw9A_XYEpy2LcSODrmCFIlgkFaHmx2jBug/viewform

• Participants endorsed multiple benefits of Section membership. Being in community with like-minded professionals received the highest frequency of endorsements (65%), followed by opportunities for networking (54%) and collaborating with other professionals (56%), and engaging in advocacy work around issues of gender and sexuality (53%).

• Approximately 40% of participants expressed interest in becoming actively involved in the activities of the Section in some capacity, which is wonderful. We followed up with them to initiate contact and look forward to future collaborations.  

• Participants also expressed interest in a variety of program options, with webinars being the most popular. This is great feedback! The leadership team will be looking to develop a webinar series on topics of interest to our members. If you want to help with webinars, please contact Arlene Noriega at dranor@bellsouth.net.   

 

The Section is also re-launching our biannual publication – PERSPECTIVES – which was dormant for a few years. PERSPECTIVES helped members stay informed, connected, and engaged in the past, so we are excited to bring it back. The 2026 Winter issue you are reading today is the first in the new series, now edited by Kat Arenella. We hope you will contribute to the next issue with an article, book review, or some other type of column. For more information about PERSPECTIVES and ways to contribute, you may want to check out the publication website (https://perspectivesongsod.blogspot.com/) or contact Kat directly (katherine.arenella@alliant.edu). The Summer 2026 issue of PERSPECTIVES is expected to be published in July 2026.   

Lastly, Section leaders started planning for the 2026 APA Co
nvention in DC. You will soon see an invitation from Arlene Noriega to attend the Section’s symposium and other Section activities that are being planned for the convention. Nina Dours and Hannah Seidman are also working on programming for graduate students specifically. You will hear from them as well. Additionally, Section IV sponsors several research and travel awards for graduate students, early career professionals, and seasoned psychologists who are working to advance feminist approaches to gender and sexuality in psychology. You will soon see a call for award nominations from Monica Ghabrial. Please consider nominating yourself or someone else for one of these awards that are presented at convention.

I conclude this presidential report with much appreciation for you. In a world where there is so much misinformation about gender and sexuality, I feel privileged to be part of a group of like-minded psychologists committed to increasing dialogue, research, education, and advocacy around issues impacting LGBTQ+ individuals and communities in the US and abroad. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to be actively involved in the work of the Section. I look forward to hearing from you.   

Cristina Magalhaes, PhD (cmagalhaes2@alliant.edu).

President, APA Division 35 Section IV

SPRING 2022: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

Greetings! I’m thrilled to serve as our Section 4 President this term. I have had the privilege of being part of Section 4 over the past few years, primarily as our Awards Chair. In my time with the Section, I have been able to learn from those who have come before me and, in my role as President, I am glad to have the opportunity to build on their work in pursuit of our purpose and vision – to advance understanding of sexual and gender diversity in Division 35 and the field psychology. Our officers and executive board members are integral in working towards this purpose and vision. 

This winter we eagerly welcomed new officers and executive board members, and we’re pleased to have others continue in their roles. Joining us this term are Dr. Torica Exume as Treasurer, and Jaidelynn Rogers, MA as Social Media Manager. Dr. Elliot Tebbe is taking on the role of Newsletter Editor, Dr. Monica Ghabrial is continuing as Awards Chair, and Kalila Beehler, MS is continuing as the chair of the Graduate Student Committee. Dr. Corey Flanders is our Past-President and Dr. Cristina Magalhães is our President-Elect.

Alex Agiliga

SUMMER 2020: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

Welcome to Summer 2020! It has been and continues to be a terrifying, difficult, and inspiring year, across the pandemic, police and other state sanctioned violence, and powerful justice work with the Black Lives Matter movement. At the start of the new year, much of our focus as a section was on trying to understand how Section 4 can be the best possible professional home to our members. As the year has unfolded, we hold to that goal, as well as make it explicit that to be the best professional home, we must take actions to fight anti-Black racism, xenophbia, anti-immigrant discrimination, and all the arms of systemic oppression to truly support queer and trans psychologists. In line with these goals, we have two invitations. 

First, we want to collect information from our membership (and people who are interested in joining the section) about what kinds of resources and programming would be valuable for queer and trans people in psychology across career stages. To serve this purpose, we are holding an online social on Tuesday, August 6th from 4-5pm EST at the upcoming 2020 APA convention. Before, during, and after this event, we hope to collect data about what folks are looking for from their participation in Section 4, and to build some resources to meet those needs. Please be on the lookout for an email on the listserv that will contain links to surveys for folks to complete about their professional needs and wants. We will circulate this survey during our APA social and you can access it through this link as well: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/APA35Section4

Second, the section Executive Committee (EC) has begun discussions about ways in which we can concretely support justice work as a section, and in particular the fight for Black queer and trans lives. I welcome any and all feedback and suggestions for ideas on how to pursue this as a collective. If anyone is interested in joining one of our EC meetings to join this discussion live, please be in touch and I can forward that information. To give feedback and suggestions by other means, please reach out to me at cflander@mtholyoke. edu. 

In addition to these invitations, I encourage anyone to reach out to me with any requests, feedback, or questions you might have about the section. We will add this to our APA data to direct our future development. I cannot wait to hear more about how the section can serve emerging and established queer and trans psychologists, and how we can work together to foster a supportive and powerful professional home. I look forward to hearing from you, and I’m best contacted via email: cflander@mtholyoke.edu. 

Corey

 

EDITOR’S NOTE

As I write this column, I reflect on how much our lives have changed since the last publication of PERSPECTIVES. Chances are most of us, if not all, have been home quite a lot these days. We learned to teach live classes remotely and to improvise to the drop of a hat, got a crash course on telehealth and now sort of like it, realized deliveries of groceries and homemade cooking can be the way of the future, and figured out, begrudgingly I must say, there are numerous (previously unrecognized) ways to be social yet physically distant from most humans we interact with on a daily basis. I enjoy spending time at home, have fulfilling work I can do remotely, and have multiple hobbies and a partner who keeps me entertained; so I haven’t felt truly lonely in these times of social distancing. Yet, I still miss the warmth and belonging I feel when I am with friends, family, and colleagues. Instinctively, human beings know there is safety in numbers, so it is no wonder, as an immigrant and queer person, that I rely so much on my communities for support to help me keep functioning well and thriving in the midst of these stressful times. I imagine many LGBTQ people are feeling the same these days, and the need for us to reach out to offer support to one another has never been greater. I am grateful for the technologies that afford us the opportunities to do just that—keep in touch, lend a hand, and remind queer folk that it gets better. 

As a home for LGBTQ members of Division 35 and allies, Section 4 wants you to know we are still here, continuing the work we started, and we would love to see you at convention this week. Isn’t it great that we can still meet virtually? We invite you to join us at convention to talk about what’s happening with our LGBTQ communities nationwide, and discuss how psychologists can help bring understanding of new human/social phenomena to create solutions for the real problems of our lives. We start this issue of PERSPECTIVES with a message to you from our president, Corey Flanders, and information about the convention (pages 3 through 6). Next we feature five articles about a range of LGBTQ related topics (pages 7 to 18), a book review (pages 18 and 19), a column about the Section’s 2019 symposium on emerging areas of research in LGBTQ psychology (page 20), a column about the Section’s 2019 award recipients (pages 21 and 22), and information about awards and grants we know are of interest to our members (page 23). If I don’t see you at convention, stay safe and keep in touch. Perhaps you would like to write something for publication in our next issue of PERSPECTIVES? We would love to hear what’s on your mind these days. 

Cristina

SUMMER 2019: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

Greetings! This summer has been one of transition for Section 4, as many of you know we recently welcomed new officers and executive board members. I am honored to be taking over the role of President, and am very appreciative of the work that our Past-President Elliot Tebbe has contributed over the past couple of years. I’m also very excited to be welcoming back our Secretary, Janna Dickenson, and our new Treasurer, Emma Fredrick. We are lucky to have Alexandra Agiliga continuing as our Awards Chair, as well as Cristina Magalhães continuing in the role of the Newsletter Editor. Last but not least, I would like to thank our past Graduate Student Committee Chair, Emmie Matsuno, for their wonderful work in developing events and opportunities for graduate students and more, and welcome our new chair, Monica Ghabrial. 

Our section has been hard at work since the past issue. Over the last several months, we have continued to work towards the recognition and inclusion of gender diversity within the broader Division, and within psychology. This work has taken place within Division-wide meetings, past APA conversation hours, and is a focus of our symposium at APA this year. I look forward to continuing this work with our Section’s leadership and membership during my term. We are also excited about the other work and events that will be taking place at APA this summer, highlighted elsewhere in the current issue.

We hope to see you at many of them, including our Section’s business meeting and social hour, at which all are welcome. We also hope many graduate students will consider attending our graduate student social hour, facilitated by our graduate student committee. Come meet other section members and enjoy some food!

EDITOR'S NOTE

I admit history was not my favorite subject in school when I was a kid. I don’t know why exactly, but it could be because, as I recall, history was taught to me as a series of seemingly unrelated events I just had to memorize for a test. I eventually learned to appreciate history, but this was only when I understood that the events that mark our past are more than historical facts; they are dynamic forces that shape the direction of our future. It is with appreciation for history that Section 4 dedicates this issue’s cover to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots of 1969, a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ rights movement. According to historians, the riots did not start the movement but helped galvanize LGBTQ activism by giving visibility to the cause and inspiring more folks to speak up and make a difference. Well, Section 4 wants to make a difference too, and invites you to join us in promoting awareness among psychologists of issues that impact the wellbeing of LGBTQ people and LGBTQ communities. We are always looking for volunteers to help with Section initiatives, and there is always room for you to contribute to PERSPECTIVES, so let us know if you want to be involved.

This year also marks the 5th anniversary of PERSPECTIVES, and we are proud of our accomplishments. We were a small enterprise when we started in 2014, with a handful of contributors who worked hard to produce a 4-page inaugural issue. To give you a sense for how much we’ve grown, the current issue is way longer, with 30 pages, and packed with contributions from over two dozen members and affiliates. We start this issue with a message from our current President, Corey Flanders, and updates from the Past-Chair and current Chair of the Graduate Student Committee, Emmie Matsumo and Monica Ghabrial (pages 3 to 5). Next we feature six articles about a range of LGBTQ related topics (pages 6 to 17), an invited column (pages 18 to 21), and a book review (pages 22 and 23). Also included is a guide to the upcoming APA convention, with recommendations for places to eat and visit in Chicago, as well as a compilation of LGBTQ-related programming sponsored by several divisions to help you plan your convention schedule (pages 24 through 29). Two things I learned from history is that enduring changes don’t happen overnight, and that we must plant today what we want to harvest tomorrow. Thinking about the civil rights movements of today, we’ve accomplished so much; yet, in the big scheme of things, there’s so much to do. I am glad we got started! 

Cristina

SUMMER 2018: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

Summer is here! And while the advent of slow, hot, humid days may typically elicit a sense of rest and relaxation – a much-needed break from the hectic tireless push of the academic year – the events of the last few months have necessitated our push to keep moving forward and to keep calling for compassion, equality, equity, and human dignity, even when it feels as though those calls are going unheeded. I imagine many of us feel exhausted and depleted. Angry, scared, and sad. I believe it is important that we recognize the feelings that come up for us when we hear about families fleeing sometimes impossible, violent, and desperate situations, only to be met at the border by officials who take children away from parents and then turn back around. When we hear about trans individuals who have chosen to serve their country in the military, only to be rejected, derogated, and find their jobs and careers at risk on the basis of their gender identity. When we hear about new legislation that robs trans people of their dignity and places them at risk for further harassment, abuse, and discrimination; and the state forcefully enlisting the help of friends, teachers, and even mental health professionals in its pursuit of further marginalizing a marginalized population. These are just a handful of the events that have occurred in the last few months. It may feel like too much to follow, much less fight – but fight we will, because that is our mandate as psychologists, as social justice advocates, and as human beings. We can start small, and we can start focused, but my hope is that the momentum will continue to build and as a community we can join voices and efforts to keep pushing forward. So, with that in mind, we have chosen to focus on one fight in this newsletter this summer: the ban of trans individuals from the military. We focus on this particular issue because we believe this ban has historical significance and is representative of a host of broader attitudes and barriers trans individuals face across many contexts.

In my last column, I discussed some of the upcoming activities our Section would be focusing on in the coming months, including updating our bylaws and continuing to discuss a change to the name of our Section. We have made excellent progress in these efforts and will be contacting Section members in the weeks after the annual APA convention for feedback, to vote on proposed changes, and to elect officers for Section leadership positions.  For anyone interested in learning more about elected positions, we encourage you to attend the Section 4 Business Meeting on Saturday, August 11^th at 12pm in the Division 35 Hospitality Suite.

Building on last year’s progress, we once again successfully funded four awards for graduate students and professionals. These awards will be presented at the Division 35 Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, August 11^th at 3:00PM, and we invite all members (current or prospective!) to join us to celebrate with our award winners.

Finally, I also want to include some information about the exciting programming Section 4 is either leading or collaborating on at the APA Convention in just a few short weeks:

Friday, August 10^th from 11:00-11:50 AM: Emerging Areas of Science, Practice, and Education with LGBTQ Women. This exciting symposium will feature three presentations that advance important areas of research with LGBTQ women and discussion by Margaret Robinson. This symposium will be held in the Convention Center, Room 159 (Upper Mezzanine, South Building).

Friday, August 10^th from 4:00-4:50 PM: Striving for Justice to Address Gender-Based Violence: Sex Crimes and Trafficking. This conversation hour, a collaboration across all Division 35 sections, will provide space for attendees to discuss important topics related to intersectionality through a framework of struggle and resilience. This conversation hour will be held in the Convention Center, Room 2009 (Level 2 West Building).

Saturday, August 11^th from 12:00-12:50 PM: Division 35 Section 4 Business Meeting & Social Hour. We invite everyone to our Section 4 Business Meeting where we will provide some updates about our progress over the last year, invite discussion from attendees regarding ongoing Section 4 efforts, and provide an opportunity for networking and mentorship among section members.

For those of you who are attending APA in August, I would love to meet and talk with you! Outside of Section 4 programming, if you would like to reach out to find out more about the Section, discuss any initiatives you would like Section 4 to tackle, or just to connect, I invite you to reach out directly to me via email: tebbe@unl.edu 

EDITOR'S NOTE

The past several months have been challenging for people and communities we care about. From government policies that threaten to revert back hard earned advances in civil rights for LGBTQ people, to those that cause unjustifiable suffering and trauma to immigrant children and families, and to all others that take us in the opposite direction of all that is kind and civil to fellow human beings, we’ve experienced way too many threats to the safety and wellbeing of our communities in recent times. When Section 4’s executive committee met in March, we had just received news that a White House memo was released announcing policy that aims to ban, with few exceptions, transgender people from serving in the military. The committee decided then to dedicate the next issue of PERSPECTIVES to honoring all trans people who have devoted their lives to protecting our nation and who continue to do so despite being under threat of losing their right to choose a career in the military. The cover for this issue of PERSPECTIVES does just that. It features artwork by Kate Sypek, commissioned for this special issue, celebrating trans people who proudly wear the uniform (page 1). 

In this issue you will also find a message from our Section President, Elliot Tebbe, and updates from our Graduate Student Committee Chair, Emmie Matsumo (pages 3 and 4); thought provoking articles written by Nicole Ortiz, Kimberly Alston-Stepnitz, Harriet Stares, Emmie Matsuno, and Grace Hazeltine (pages 5 through 15); a publication announcement by Chinchu C. (page 15); and a guide to the upcoming APA convention, with recommendations for places to eat and visit in San Francisco, as well as a compilation of LGBTQ-related programming sponsored by several divisions to help you plan your convention schedule (pages 16 through 20). LGBTQ research is arduous work and not always valued or supported by psychology departments and other host organizations. For many of us, the LGBTQ research we do is truly a labor of love and every bit of support is welcomed. To help you find assistance and get recognition for the amazing research you do, the graduate student committee put together a new column, listing awards and small grant opportunities for graduate students and early career psychologists doing research in gender diversity, human sexuality, and LGBTQ related topics (page 21). We hope you will find this list—and everything else we packed into this issue of PERSPECTIVES—very inspiring and useful to your work. 

Cristina Magalhaes, PhD

WINTER 2018: FROM THE SECTION PRESIDENT

In my last column, I described the hard work of Section IV officers to continue to address Section IV goals and to update our infrastructure to grow and support our members. Here are some updates on our progress.

In the next few months, we will be asking members to vote on necessary revisions to our bylaws and to provide feedback on possible changes to our section name, as described in the previous newsletter. To facilitate this process, we have established a Section IV listserv, and we want to extend an invitation to all Section IV members to join. This listserv will be used to disseminate announcements and foster discussion among Section IV members on topics that may be of personal and professional interest. If you have not yet done so but are interested in joining the listserv, please email me at tebbe@unl.edu. 

In addition to our (slow but steady!) progress on addressing updates to our Section IV infrastructure, we have also continued Section IV efforts to leading or collaborating with others to produce exciting programming at the annual APA Convention. In August 2017, we held two social events, facilitated our annual symposium, and held a conversation hour on transgender inclusion in feminist spaces at the APA convention. We also disseminated our Section IV awards at the Division 35 Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony. Congratulations to all awardees! You will learn more about awards and section activities on pages 12 through 14 of this issue of PERSPECTIVES. 

To end, as 2017 draws to a close and we welcome in the start of 2018 with all of its uncertainties, hopes, and fears, it is critical that we keep at the forefront our commitment to advocacy and social justice to address concerns stemming from entrenched patriarchy, colonialism, and widespread disempowerment of diverse individuals and communities. Therefore, in the coming months, it is my hope that we will engage in direct dialogue with each other to consider what steps we as a Section and as a professional community can take to continue our social justice engagement in these critical concerns. Elliot Tebbe, PhD (tebbe@unl.edu).

EDITOR'S NOTE

It’s January 6th, and there is a cold breeze in the air, coming through the window this evening. For someone like me, who lived most of my life in warmer climates, the mild winters of Los Angeles are just enough to make me feel energized and renewed by the change of seasons. I spent the day taking down holiday decorations, tying up loose ends, and clearing my desk (and mind) for new beginnings. Now, as I sit to write this column, I am comforted by the thought that no matter how much is left undone at the end of the year, we can always pick things up from where they were left off, and keep moving them forward. Fully aware that LGBTQ communities faced multiple challenges and set backs in 2017—both in the United States and abroad—I remain hopeful for better days, when greater and bolder progress in LGBTQ rights can be witnessed all over the world.   

I have reason to be hopeful. I know Section IV, and other professional and community-based organizations, are tireless, and have been doing great work in support of LGBTQ communities around the globe. I also know in 2018 they will continue to educate the general public and policy makers about multiple issues that need to be addressed to improve the lives of LGBTQ people and their families. The current issue of PERSPECTIVES provides many illustrations of this commitment. You will find a message from Section IV president, Elliot Tebbe, with progress updates toward Section goals and strategic vision (page 1); and will also hear from our past-president, Jennifer Vencill, and Graduate Student Committee Chair, Emmie Matsuno, regarding Section IV activities at convention (pages 3 and 4). In case you missed the opportunity to hear them speak last year, pages 5 through 11 feature the cutting edge work of our 2017 symposium presenters; and pages 12 though 14 highlight the accomplishments of our well-deserving 2017 award recipients. This issue of PERSPECTIVES also includes articles by contributing members, information about the upcoming AWP conference in Philadelphia, and other important announcements. As you take all this information in, I am sure you will feel hopeful too.  

Cristina Magalhaes, PhD